I just measured my fish. I always thought my largest female was 4-5". I was wrong. She is measured from nose to tail at 6.5"... Now the alpha male is at least 2" more than her so he is about 8.5-9"

Well, the reason why I pull them out is that there were spawning going on. She dropped her tube 2 days ago. And this afternoon, she did lay her eggs. Here is a picture of her holding.

This is almost exactly a year after I bought the group from Steve Perryman. She has total including this time 5 spawns. The earlier 4 spawns were not full term. She split her eggs from 2-10days. So after a 5 minutes debate inside my head, I decided to strip her. Here is a picture of her eggs.

I crushed a few eggs cause my female jumped out from my hand while I was striping her and damage a few eggs. And some eggs appear to have some white stuffs on them. They are not fungus. They are actually some string like stuffs attaching the eggs while she lays them. They do come over after a gentle rocking back and fore in the water.

Well, I still have to take the damaged eggs out but I don't want to bother the fish anymore tonight. I will take them out first thing in the morning. What an exciting night.

Wish me Luck, I will keep updating this thread.

Last edited by Charles on Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

I've had a group of wild Bismarks for about 10 months now and like you I have always let the females hold them and they end up spitting or swallowing them. 7 spawns I've been patient!! I've decided next time they get stripped and tumbled.

Finally got a tumber and return home around 5pm. Realize the female (the one with eggs) 's mouth is very small compare to this morning. I strip her right away and gotten only 8 eggs. Oh well... perhaps the male is too tired for all this spawning. Or she just released some or swallow some.

Got 3 tumbler going now.
#1 has 9 eggs. I can see half of them starting to show a line in the middle.
#2 has 13 eggs. Some as #1... half of them starting to show a line in the middle
#3 has 8 eggs. Still very fresh from her mouth. And no white on any of them.